PITTSBURGH - The Nationals got a strong outing from Blake Treinen in his second major league start, and they got a good bit of solid contact off Pirates pitching.
Unfortunately for them, they also got a 3-1 loss in the first game of this four-game set at PNC Park.
Treinen allowed two runs on four hits over 5 2/3 innings, with five walks and four strikeouts. He allowed single runs in the third (when he retired the first two hitters, then walked Pirates starter Edinson Volquez, starting a...
PITTSBURGH - Matt Williams had said he planned on giving Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond a day off during this four-game series against the Pirates.
Neither of those two players will be sitting in the series opener, however.
Werth is starting in right field, hitting third, while Desmond is at short, batting fifth.
Blake Treinen makes his second big league start after officially being recalled from Triple-A Syracuse. He has a 0.77 ERA in four major league appearances coming into tonight.
The...
PITTSBURGH - Hello from the Steel City, where the Nationals will spend their next four days before heading right back to D.C. again for a lengthy homestand.
Pittsburgh doesn't necessarily have a great reputation as a travel city, but I kind of like it here. The downtown area by the bridges is gorgeous when the weather is nice (it makes for a solid area to go for a jog, if I can force myself to do so) and I really enjoy PNC Park.
The press box is pretty high up, but the sight lines are...
The Nationals are going for the series win against the Reds this afternoon in D.C., but Anthony Rendon will be on the bench for the finale, getting a day off. With Ryan Zimmerman on the disabled list, Rendon has become the Nats' everyday third baseman.
Kevin Frandsen will get the start at third today.
Right-hander Tanner Roark will take the mound this afternoon, looking to earn his fourth win of the season. The Nats will face veteran Alfredo Simon, who's 5-2 on the season, with a 2.45...
What can a five-hit game do for a guy's numbers less than two months into the season?
Well, for Denard Span, it can boost his batting average and on-base percentage in a big way and get him back closer to the type of numbers he would expect to have to this point in the season.
Span entered yesterday's game batting .239 with a .287 on-base percentage, significantly below his career averages. Largely because of Span's rocky start, the Nationals had the lowest on-base percentage out of the...
Doug Fister didn't need much run support tonight.
Denard Span helped make sure he had plenty anyway.
Span went 5-for-5 tonight with two doubles, two runs scored, two RBIs and a stolen base, leading the offensive charge against Reds starter Johnny Cueto, who came in leading the majors in ERA among starters.
Manager Matt Williams had been asked before the game whether he had given thought to moving Span out of the leadoff spot. Let's all have a laugh about that now.
Fister took care of...
Kevin Frandsen will play left field and Tyler Moore will be at first base for the Nationals in tonight's game against the Reds.
Right-hander Doug Fister makes his Nationals Park debut tonight and gets a stern test in going up against Reds righty Johnny Cueto, who owns a 4-2 record and a 1.25 ERA.
For the RedsCF Billy HamiltonRF Skip Schumaker2B Brandon Phillips1B Todd FrazierC Brayan PenaLF Chris HeiseySS Zack Cozart3B Ramon SantiagoRHP Johnny Cueto
For the NationalsCF Denard Span3B Anthony...
A 15-inning, nearly five-hour game that results in a loss might seem like it would sting more than your standard, nine-inning, three-hour defeat.
You scratch and you claw for that long, use up so many relievers and expend that much energy, and don't come away with a victory, and it's bound to leave you that much more frustrated, right?
Think again, according to the Nationals, who were on the losing end of a 4-3 ballgame that carried past midnight and into this morning.
"Nah, you can't go...
Fifteen innings. Four hours, 58 minutes.
It took that long for the Nationals and Reds to decide the opener of a three-game series, and unfortunately for those who stuck around Nats Park or those who stayed up with us on MASN to watch this one, the road team ended up going home the victor.
Todd Frazier's two-run homer in the top of the 15th off Ross Detwiler gave the Reds a 4-2 lead, and they hung on for a 4-3 victory.
It was a tight, entertaining ballgame, but a tough one for the Nats to...
After getting 14 plate appearances as a pinch-hitter this season between the Marlins and Nationals, Greg Dobbs is in a starting lineup for the first time in 2014.
The veteran utilityman will play first base for manager Matt Williams tonight. Dobbs has gone 2-for-14 this season, but singled up the middle on Friday in his first at-bat with the Nats.
The Reds will send right-hander Mike Leake to the mound, while the Nats will go with Stephen Strasburg in the opener of this three-game set.
For the...
In my on-field interview with Wilson Ramos after yesterday's Nationals win, I asked the Nationals catcher what's been the key to Drew Storen getting off to such a strong start to the 2014 season.
Storen has a 1.26 ERA through 17 outings this year, and he's allowed just eight baserunners in his 14 1/3 innings, with 15 strikeouts.
Ramos noted that Storen's changeup has been a big factor in his effectiveness, saying that Storen has been throwing the pitch much more than in the past, and that...
The Nationals won a ballgame today and then got some good news on starter Gio Gonzalez.
Gonzalez does not have any structural damage to his injured left shoulder, according to manager Matt Williams.
An MRI taken today revealed that Gonzalez merely has inflammation in the shoulder, which will lead to Gonzalez needing some time to rest. The left-hander was placed on the 15-day disabled list earlier today.
"He'll be shut down for four or five days," Williams said. "No throwing, no nothing....
Kevin Frandsen will play second base for the Nationals today in their series finale against the Mets, as Danny Espinosa gets the day off (well, at least the start of the day).
Right-hander Jordan Zimmermann takes the mound for the Nats, and will be opposed by Zack Wheeler.
Right-hander Ryan Mattheus is on the lineup card, which doesn't seem to bode well for left-hander Gio Gonzalez. We'll update that as news becomes available.
For the Mets:
LF Eric Young Jr.2B Daniel Murphy3B David WrightRF...
The Nationals have allowed three runs or more in 10 of their 42 games this season.
Yes, 10 of their 42. I'm sure that's both shocking and frustrating to manager Matt Williams and company.
What can be done to fix it?
Well, the Nats say that they've gone back and looked at how their starters are warming up compared to previous years. They've studied the number of pitches their starters have thrown in the bullpen. They've looked at how their starters are getting loose before an outing.
And...
Over his last two outings, spanning just 7 1/3 innings, Gio Gonzalez has allowed 12 runs on 16 hits.
Not what we're used to seeing from the Nationals left-hander.
Gonzalez gave up five runs over three innings today against the Mets, taking his second straight loss and watching his ERA balloon to 4.62 in the Nats' 5-2 defeat.
He allowed three runs in the first in a 37-pitch frame, then gave up a two-run homer to Juan Lagares in the third that provided the crucial cushion for the Mets.
The...
Gio Gonzalez looks to get back on track this afternoon against the New York Mets.
In his last start on Sunday against the Athletics, Gonzalez lasted just 4 1/3 innings, gave up nine hits, seven earned runs and walked three.
Gonzalez earned his first win this year against the Mets on April 2 in the Nationals' second game of the season.
For the Nationals:
CF Denard Span
3B Anthony Rendon
RF Jayson Werth
C Wilson Ramos
SS Ian Desmond
2B Danny Espinosa
1B Tyler Moore
LF Nate McLouth
LHP Gio...
Mets starter Jon Niese went into yesterday's outing with a 1.67 ERA in 32 1/3 career innings at Nationals Park, with 33 strikeouts and two walks.
Those numbers might've inspired some confidence in the 27-year-old starter.
Niese got rocked for five runs on eight hits in just four innings, however, thus continuing a recent trend of Nationals hitters demolishing left-handed pitching.
After last night's win, the Nats are hitting .286 with a .339 on-base percentage and .434 slugging percentage...
What was looking like a quiet 5-2 victory suddenly turned a bit more interesting in the bottom of the ninth, when Rafael Soriano issued two two-out walks and Daniel Murphy sent a fly ball high to right field.
Jayson Werth leaped at the wall, made a catch that may or may not have saved the game from being tied, and then dropped a "Mean Girls" reference at me immediately after the dramatic win was complete.
Quite a finish.
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The Nationals escaped with the...
With left-hander Jonathon Neise on the mound for the Mets, Scott Hairston will return to left field for tonight's opener of a three-game series at Nationals Park.
Right-hander Tanner Roark starts for the Nationals in the 7:05 p.m.
For the Mets
LF Eric Young Jr.2B Daniel Murphy3B David WrightCF Curtis GrandersonRF Bobby Abreu1B Lucas DudaC Anthony ReckerSS Ruben TejadaLHP Jonathon Niese
For the Nationals
CF Denard Span3B Anthony RendonRF Jayson WerthC Wilson RamosSS Ian DesmondLF Scott...
The Nationals made a roster move to tweak their bench today, selecting the contract of infielder/outfielder Greg Dobbs from Triple-A Syracuse and optioning catcher Sandy Leon to the Chiefs.
Minor league outfielder Eury Perez was recalled from Syracuse and placed on the 60-day disabled list with a left toe fracture. Dobbs will take his spot on the 40-man roster.
Dobbs was signed to a minor league deal four days ago. The 35-year-old is a career .262 hitter spanning 11 seasons with the Marlins,...